Midfield crisis forces Rafa reshuffle
A midfield injury crisis forced Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez into a major reshuffle against Manchester City.
With Xabi Alonso and Mark Gonzalez joining the growing casualty list in midweek, Benitez deployed full-back John Arne Riise on the left flank, with central defender Daniel Agger switching to left-back and Sami Hyypia returning in defence.
Craig Bellamy, who has spent the last two days in a Cardiff courtroom answering an assault charge, returned to Merseyside overnight to take up a position on the bench. He was joined in the dugout by Jermaine Pennant, who had recovered sufficiently from a midweek hamstring strain to figure in the squad.
City brought in Nedum Onuoha for his first senior start of the season, with Georgios Samaras dropping to the bench, alongside former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann.
